Offensive coordinator Ryan Grubb expected to follow Kalen DeBoer to Alabama after not getting Washington job

Washington offensive coordinator Ryan Grubb is one of multiple staff members expected to follow coach Kalen DeBoer to Alabama after being passed over for the Huskies job, according to ESPN’s Chris Low. Washington receivers coach JaMarcus Shephard and scouting director Jerret McElwain are also expected to join DeBoer and Grubb. 

Grubb actually turned down serious interest before from Alabama when Nick Saban aimed to fill his offensive coordinator vacancy last offseason, opting to stick with DeBoer at UW. However, Grubb tweeted late Saturday night that he would not be the Huskies’ next coach, leading to a belief that he was possibly bound for DeBoer’s Crimson Tide staff. 

It also provided some clarity on Washington’s coaching search, which ended with the Huskies hiring Jedd Fisch from Arizona. 

Grubb engineered an offense that spearheaded Washington’s push to the College Football Playoff National Championship, where the Huskies lost 34-13 to Michigan. They finished 13th nationally in total offense (462.1 yards per game) and scoring offense (36 points per game). Washington scored at least 30 points in nine out of 12 regular-season games and averaged four touchdowns per game during its postseason run through the Pac-12 Championship Game and College Football Playoff. 

Under Grubb’s tutelage, Washington’s offensive line won the Joe Moore Award as the nation’s top collective unit, wide receiver Rome Odunze raked in All-American honors and was named a Biletnikoff Award finalist, and quarterback Michael Penix Jr. finished second in the Heisman Trophy voting. 

Grubb’s partnership with DeBoer runs deep

Grubb and DeBoer have been attached at the hip throughout most of their respective careers. Their longtime collaboration began in 2007 when DeBoer hired Grubb as his offensive line coach and run game coordinator at Sioux Falls in the NAIA ranks. 

That lasted through 2009 when DeBoer left to become the offensive coordinator at Southern Illinois and Grubb was promoted to offensive coordinator at Sioux Falls. The two reunited in 2014 at Eastern Michigan with DeBoer working as offensive coordinator and Grubb serving as offensive line coach on Chris Creighton’s inaugural staff. 

Grubb followed DeBoer to Fresno State in 2017 and stayed on staff with the Bulldogs when DeBoer left to take the offensive coordinator job at Indiana in 2019. After one season with the Hoosiers, DeBoer earned his first FBS coaching job at Fresno State and retained Grubb as his associate head coach, offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach. 

Ultimately, Grubb once again trailed behind DeBoer when he was hired at Washington in 2022, maintaining his offensive playcalling responsibilities while directly mentoring UW’s quarterbacks.